HOUSTON (September 16, 2012)--An analysis of police records shows that at least 32,000 guns were stolen in the Houston area over the past five years, but that only 7 percent of the weapons were recovered.
The Houston Chronicle reported Sunday that the stolen guns contribute to violent crime and have been responsible for at least 19 area murders.
Houston police have made arrests or identified suspects in only about 8 percent of robberies and burglaries in which guns were taken and court records show most of those people have drug or burglary histories.
Houston police spokesman John Cannon acknowledged solving the gun thefts is a "daunting task" in a city of more than 2 million and where more than 100,000 people are arrested each year.
